The short answer
UK food businesses must be able to tell customers whether any of the 14 regulated allergens are in the food they serve. At an ice cream van, milk is in almost everything, and cones, toppings and sauces add others. Guests with allergies should always ask at the hatch, and organisers should share allergen details before the event.
What are the 14 allergens?
UK food law identifies 14 allergens that food businesses must declare. If any of them is an ingredient in food served loose, such as an ice cream from a van, the business must be able to tell you. That information can be given in writing or verbally, but it must be accurate and available when you ask. The list is the same across the UK.
Not every allergen is likely to be relevant at an ice cream van, but several are. Milk is the obvious one. Cereals containing gluten are in most cones and wafers. Nuts and peanuts can appear in toppings and sauces. Soya and eggs can be present in some products. The full list is below.
- Celery
- Cereals containing gluten (such as wheat, barley and oats)
- Crustaceans
- Eggs
- Fish
- Lupin
- Milk
- Molluscs
- Mustard
- Tree nuts
- Peanuts
- Sesame
- Soya
- Sulphur dioxide and sulphites
Which allergens are common in ice cream van food?
Milk is in soft serve and most scoop ice cream, so anyone with a milk allergy should assume the dairy items are off the menu unless told otherwise. Cones and wafers are usually made from wheat flour, which contains gluten. Chocolate flakes, biscuit crumbs, sauces and sprinkles each have their own ingredients, and some may contain nuts, soya or other allergens.
Some menu items make the risk obvious, such as Choc Nut, which comes with chocolate sauce and toasted nuts. Others are less obvious, such as a crumb topping or a sauce. That is why the safest approach is never to guess. Ask about the specific item, including the cone and every topping, before ordering.
How should guests ask about allergens at the van?
Tell the person serving about the allergy before you order, and name the specific allergen. Ask about the exact item you want, including the cone, sauce and topping, rather than asking in general terms. If you are ordering for a child, make sure the staff know the order is for someone with an allergy.
Our team can tell you which of the 14 allergens are in each item on the menu. If you need more detail, or you have a severe allergy, ask to check the product information before you decide. If you are not confident about an item, do not order it. Our allergen information page sets out how allergen information is provided at our vans.
What is cross-contamination and why does it matter?
Cross-contamination happens when an allergen gets into food that does not contain it as an ingredient. At an ice cream van, that might be crumbs from a topping falling into another, a shared scoop, or sauces and sprinkles kept side by side. For most guests it does not matter, but for people with a severe allergy even a small trace can cause a reaction.
Good hygiene practice reduces the risk, and our staff are Level 2 Hygiene Certified, but a busy van with shared equipment and open toppings cannot guarantee that any item is completely free from traces of allergens. Guests with severe allergies should explain this at the hatch and make an informed choice. Wrapped products may sometimes be a safer option, but always check the label.
How can organisers plan for guests with allergies?
Plan before the day. Once you have chosen the menu, ask the van for allergen information for those items and share it with guests who need it. For a wedding, include a note in the invitation pack or ask about allergies on the RSVP. For a school or children's party, send the information to parents in advance.
Think about the menu, too. Choosing items with simpler ingredients, and including wrapped lollies with labelled packaging, gives guests with allergies more choice. Ask us about options for specific dietary needs when you enquire; we will tell you honestly what is available for your date and what is not. It is far better to know this when you set the menu than to find out at the hatch.
What does good allergen practice look like at the van?
From the outside, it looks simple. Staff who can answer allergen questions without guessing. Product information available for every item on the menu. Clean scoops and utensils, toppings kept apart where possible, and a willingness to say "we cannot guarantee that" when it is true. If a van cannot tell you what is in an item, do not order it.
Behind the hatch, it comes from training and routine. Our staff are Level 2 Hygiene Certified, we hold a 5 Star Food Hygiene rating, and we keep allergen information for the products we serve. Organisers can ask for that information in advance and should feel free to ask how allergens are handled on the van before they book.
What should schools and children's events do differently?
Children may not be able to explain their allergy clearly at a hatch, and they may be tempted by what their friends are having. Schools and parents should agree in advance what a child with an allergy can have, and staff supervising the queue should know which children need care. The decision should be made before the child reaches the van, not in the excitement of the queue, and the child should know what they are going to choose.
For schools, share the allergen information for the chosen menu with parents a week or more before the event. On the day, make sure class teachers and supervising adults have the details. Our school events guide covers school events more broadly, including payment, menus and how to keep queues short.
What about dietary needs that are not allergies?
Some guests avoid certain foods for reasons other than allergy, such as being vegan, avoiding dairy, or following religious dietary rules. These are different from the 14 regulated allergens, and the information you need is different too. A product can be free from an allergen without meeting a particular dietary standard, so ask the right question.
Ask us about these needs when you enquire, and we will tell you what is available. Do not rely on assumptions about ice cream or lollies in general, since recipes vary between products and brands. If a dietary need matters for your event, make it part of the menu conversation from the start.